Hearty Homemade Chili

Hearty Homemade Chili warms the soul on those cold days! I'm not one to eat spicy food so I came up with a great recipe for homemade chili to share for those who love chili just not the heat!

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 cans kidney beans-drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes with juices
1 Tablespoons Worcestershire
5 dashes of Tabasco
Salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or stock pot saute the onions until translucent. Then add the minced garlic. In about a minute,  add the ground beef and cook until browned. Now add the tomatoes, kidney beans and spices to the pot. Mix well and taste to see if you need to adjust the spices a little. The heat factor is totally your preference. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve with Frito's or just by itself. Grated cheese and sour cream would be a great addition. Remember, you can always kick it up a nautch with fresh jalapenos! It's a fun recipe to make your own.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 

Nothing warms the tummy like some Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup!

 

I found some recipe ideas on pinterest that I thought would were really good and found that I didn't have many of the ingredients. So I went to the pantry and pulled out what I had and started mixing them in my crock pot. In life you have to learn to be flexible and sometimes when making a meal you have to be the same way. It doesn't hurt to try something new :)

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cups shredded chicken
1 can of mild rotel with liquid
1-10 ounce can of enchilada sauce
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can sweet cream corn
2 cups of water
1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried cilantro or 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

You can always add chicken broth if there's not enough liquid.

Combine all ingredients but the chicken in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Add the cooked chicken in 30 minutes before serving. Serve with corn tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and the fixing you love!

Okay,if you don't have time to bake or boil a chicken, you can always pick up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken at the store and just take the meat off the bone and shred it. Cooked chicken breast work really well too. Just make sure you check the internal temp to make sure it is fully cooked. If you have canned chicken in the pantry,that would work too! Just use 4 cans and drain off the water.

I love to take corn tortillas and cut them into strips and bake them on a cookie sheet until they are crisp! Gives a little crunch to my bowl of soup!

You can always change or add to this recipe to make it your own! I hope you enjoy it!

Broccoli and Rice Casserole to the rescue!

In need of a side dish or a one dish meal? Well here it is! Broccoli and Rice Casserole. It is so versatile....you can add canned chicken or cooked shrimp. Don't like broccoli, then add a mixture of the veggies you do like! Its very filling and sticks with you. When making a recipe, remember that most ingredients are not set in stone...most recipes are flexible (except when baking, you must have exact measurements and ingredients) and if you don't have an ingredient on hand then look and see what you do have...would it work? It may make the recipe better or make it your own.

Broccoli and Rice Casserole
1 cup cooked minute rice
1 stick of butter
1-10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli (cooked and drained) 
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small jar cheese whiz

You just combined all ingredients and place in a casserole dish. Top with Ritz cracker crumbs. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. You may add cooked chicken for a one dish meal.

You can substitute 12 oz. of Velveeta cheese if you don't have a jar of cheese whiz. I just melt the butter and Velveeta in a small non-stick sauce pan and add the cream of mushroom in too. If you use the Velveeta and heat the butter, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup together you won't need to bake the dish the full 40 minutes. Just keep an eye on the crackers that they don't burn.

Fruit Cocktail Cake...An oldie but goodie!

Fruit Cocktail Cake isn't a cake that too many make anymore. I love looking through my grandma's or mother-in-law's cookbooks and taking a walk down memory lane back to my childhood. I remember having it when I was a little kid and thinking, wow, this is incredible! Of course, time goes by and quick, easy fixes are the solution to baking now days. Well, here we go, this cake is so simple and its ingredients are right in the pantry! I will for sure be making it again to take to my next function and for my husband.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups fruit cocktail and juice (1 and a half cans)

Mix together and pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. If the batter looks dry, add more fruit cocktail and juice.

Sprinkle over batter before baking:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, mixed with brown sugar

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sauce on top-while cake is baking, boil together for 4 minutes:
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Keep an eye on the sauce stirring occasionaly :)
Pour sauce over cake as it is taken from oven. Needs no icing.

Refrigerate remaining cake :)